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Diamond Myths Around the Globe

All gemstones contain some form of lore or mythology. Rubies have long been believed to bring their owners wealth (…not including the actual rubies themselves). Sapphires were used when consulting with oracles, as they aided in letting the audience better understand the enigmatic messages emanating from these garbled prognosticators. Emeralds, with their regal green color, could help bring their possessors closer to royalty. Yet no stone has as many myths surrounding it as does the diamond. Reaching far back into the annals of time, there are diamond tales galore. Here is just a smattering of the numerous and legendary diamond fables and faiths through history.

A Stone to Heal them All

Ancient peoples (as far back as the 4th century B.C.) the world over thought of diamond stones as a cure-all drug, like a modern day tablet of Advil. It’s list of alleged healing traits reads like sleek advertising copy developed by a Mad Men-esque agency. All infirmities related to the head: check. Any and every heart malady: check. General malaise: check. These persons of yesteryear even though diamonds could cure insanity and depression (well, modern diamonds have been known to alleviate sadness in many people, so that’s one palliative treatment that’s still going strong.)

The Devil’s Play-rings

The true tale of diamond’s origin is an epic one that pits the Creator of all Things versus the dirty Dark Prince (according to the illustrious Persians, anyway, whose Empire emerged in 550 B.C.) When God set about constructing the earth, he needed to put a few things in place: water, trees, Starbucks, etc. One thing he realized he had no use for was of course diamonds, and other gems (who really needs a diamond anyway?) When God later fashioned this really cute couple, who were totes in love (Adam and Eve), someone else’s interest became piqued. That’s right, you guessed it; it was that rascally devil, Mr. Satan. The Purveyor of all Things Perverse gleaned that Eve was thoroughly enamored with the vibrantly hued flowers in the Garden of Eden (Earth’s hottest club at the time). So he made a bunch of gemstones out of similar colors and brilliance in an effort to lure humans into a lustful state. Eons and a successful DeBeer’s campaign later, and the Devil and Diamonds are still prompting people to make bad decisions to this very day.

Sinner Beauty

What’s the best way to access someone’s innocence or guilt after they were accused of a heinous crime? Why, stick a diamond in front of them and see if it sparkles – obviously! This was the method used by Jewish high priests from many moons ago (they trace their heritage back to Aaron, Moses’s older bro, who lived around the 1300’s BCE), at least. See, if you held the diamond in front of someone and it got darker, they clearly had a sooty soul/conscious and thus were laden with criminal inklings (and it was just to slay them). If the diamond perked up and projected dazzling beams of light, then the person in question was as innocent as a newborn Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and was immediately set free. Not sure if the accused got a say in choosing the location of their diamond trial, as most probably would’ve chosen to have them conducted outside on a sunny day.

Light it Up

The multi-deity worshipping Hindus (who first emergence dates back approximately 5000 years past) have always valued diamonds as a beautiful source of power from the sky. They held the belief that when lighting came crashing down to earth in a blistery flash and connected with ordinary rocks it turned those droll stones into sparkling diamond delights. Many of these diamonds found their way into the ‘third eye’ of religious statues, representing a sparkling eyeball in the middle of their foreheads. Sadly, a large portion of these diamonds were later pilfered by the British during gem stealing expeditions. However, there exists a small bit of sweet revenge for this pricy theft: the Hindus believed that formed diamonds still attract lightning, so the hoarders of these magical stones now had a very high risk of getting zapped from above.

This is what it feels like, when God cries

The Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans (at the height of their Empire from 264 B.C. to A.D. 11) alike believed diamonds were the crystalized form of tears from heaven. Yes, when the gods cry, it rains diamonds. Other members of these cultures thought diamonds may be fragments that shattered off of shooting stars (scientific evidence shows that this is actually accurate, learn more here), but they were often dismissed as foolish fops for entertaining such notions. In any event, so powerful were these dazzling god tears that an enterprising Cupid would dip his arrows in them; hence their oddly potent and affection inspiring effect on the wounded.

Valhalla Helpers

Preterite Vikings (most popular during the “Viking Age” of A.D. 793-1066) and the like once utilized diamonds in their armor because they believed that the stones contained metaphysical properties which prevented the warriors from being injured. This was evidenced by the fact that when enemies would attack them, their foes’ weaponry would often snap right in two! …Not sure if it ever occurred to them that diamonds are just really hard.

The one myth you should never buy into is that you will get a fair amount of cash if you sell a diamond or diamond jewelry to a pawn shop or jeweler. They will undoubtedly rob you blind (like the British did to the god-like statues!) The unequivocal truth is that you will get the best price when selling your diamond with Diamond Lighthouse. We help you sell your unwanted diamonds for the most money possible, making you feel like the hero of your own diamond selling legend. Find out more here!